Air humidifying apparatus



9 1935. s, M. F. ENGDAHL AIR HUMIDIFYING APPARATUS Filed June 14. 1933Patented Jan. 15, 1935 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Seth Mauritz FlngalEngdahl, Stockholm, Sweden Application June 14, 1933, Serial No. 675,747In Sweden June 23, 1932 This invention relates to an apparatus for catesa filter which in certain cases may be humidifying and also for heatingor cooling air. necessary for cleansingthe air entering through Suchapparatus are old. As a rule such devices the inlet 7. 8 indicates aheater for the air. A operate in such a manner that a current of watercontainer 9 is provided with a float valve warm, tempered or cool air isforced through and has an overflow outlet 10. A pipe 11 leads 5 theapparatus to pass in such intimate contact from the container to thedisk 5, see Fig. 1. with a body of water or water spray that when Thepipe 11 is provided with a control valve 12 the air leaves the apparatusit is completely or and it has the outlet opening 13 at a lower almostcompletely saturated with moisture. level than the water level in thecontainer 9. 9a When it is desired to maintain high moisture indicates afiltering device provided with a 10 content of the air ina room withconsiderable faucet 9b. The innersurface of the casing 1 is evolution ofheat, the air, which flows out into provided with a collecting channel14, see Fig. 1. the room through the humidifying apparatus, A returnconduit 15,leads from the channel 14 should also contain an excess. ofwater in the to the upper side of the fan 2. The inter- 15 form of mistor extremely small drops, which are mediate wall 6 has a level tube 16adapted to 15 then allowed to be absorbed by the air in the be raisedand lowered in vertical direction, the room. It 'is very diflicult toobtain this result said tube leading the excess water to the bottomsince the excess of moisture is easily carried of the casing 1 which isprovided with outlet out in the form of large water drops by the airpipe 17.

20 leaving the apparatus, and these water drops The apparatus isprovided with an exhaust 0 cannot be absorbed by the air in the room anddistributing drum 18, see Fig. 1, for the air. quickly enough. In orderto effect the intended In this drum there is arranged a longitudinallymechanical delivery of the moisture in a finely extending opening 19,form d by intermediate divided form it is necessary that air and waterplates 20, the edges of which are formed as drop spray be repeatedlybrought into an intimate catchers 21 (see Fig. 2). Exhaust canals 23 for25 contact with each other in a specific manner in the air are formed bythe top plate 22, the chanthe humidifier whereupon the largest waternel-shaped intermediate bottom 20 and by drops will be separated beforethe air is allowed slanting guide rails 24 located in the interto flowout freely into the room. mediate space between the two.

The present invention relates to ahumidifying The apparatus according toFigs. 1, 2 and. 3 30 apparatus which, in spite of relatively simpleoperates as follows: construction, works eiiiciently as to the quantityThe air is forced through the apparatus by of water absorbed per unit ofvolume by the the fan wheel 2 and thus flows through the passing air,whereby large rooms may be kept at opening 6a of the intermediate wall 6and out a relatively high humidity by means of a relathrough the exhaustdrum 18. The water for 35 tively small quantity of air projected by oneor humidifying the air escapes through the pipe 11 more humidifiers.down onto the disk 5 which rotates rapidly.

The accompanying drawing shows schemati- Due to the influence of thecentrifugal force the cally an embodiment of the apparatus. Fig. 1 diskthrows the water to the side forming a veil is a vertical section of theapparatus, Fig. 2 is a or a very thin layer across the intermediate 40cross section taken on line II-II of Fig. 1, and space between the diskand the walls of theian Fig. 3 is a plan view, the left portion of thecasing. Part of the water is absorbed by the apparatus being shown in ahorizontal section, passing air and part of it is caught by the colalongthe line III-III of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 shows lecting channel 14.

46 a vertical section on a larger scale of an embodi- The water thuscaught flows through the pipe ment of the apparatus. Fig. 5 shows asection 15 down onto the upper side ofthe fan wheel taken along lineV--V of Fig. 4. and thus comes in a finely divided state into In thedrawing numeral 1 indicates a box and intimate contact with the aircurrent. A layer a fan casing respectively, through which fresh of waterformed on the intermediate wall 6, is

to air or circulation air to be humidified, is forced rotated byescaping water and air and by the 50 by means of a fanwheel or propeller2. The effect of the centrifugal force the height of the driving motoris indicated at 3. shaft 4 of the water layer increases away from thecenter of motor is vertically journalled and carries'also a the opening6a, The height of the water layer disk 5. Below the fan there is anintermediate is controlled by means of the level pipe 16.

65 wall 6 having a suction opening 611. 7a indiwhen the air is suckedinto the fan wheel through the opening 6a of the wall 6 very rapidly,water is forced from the wall 6 and also some of the air above thewater. This mixture of air and water passes through the fan wheel alongwith newly sucked-in air, which is also mixed with water. The surfacesof the fan wheel are always kept damp in this way, and when the quantityof water which is not absorbed by the air during its passage through thefan wheel, is thrown out again, a circulating current of spray isobtained through the fan wheel along with the passing air.

The water and air are brought into intimate contact with each otherowing, partly to the fact that the air is caused to pass repeatedlythrough spray, and partly that it is caused to come into contact withsurfaces damped by spray. The output of the apparatus is thus in creasedwithout a great deal of excess water. The air is pushed through theexhaust drum 18 into the room. At this point it is caused to passthrough the slot 19 where large water drops, which may have been carriedout, are separated by the said drop catcher 21. The air is now suitablydirected to escape into the room depending on the slant of the top plate22 and the guide rails 24. The apparatus may be made with a plurality ofdisks 5. The exhaust drum 18 may of course also be formed for airexhaustion only at one side.

Figs. 4 and 5 show another embodiment of the apparatus. The disk 5 ofFig. 1 has been i of another construction than in the embodiment shownin. Fig. 1. 25 indicates a grate of a known construction for separatinglarge drops. The exhaust openings for the air are in this embodimentlocated in conical nozzles 26 tapering in the direction of the exhaust.In Figs.

4 and 5 only one such nozzle is shown although the apparatus generallyis made with a plurality of such nozzles. In the bottom of the nozzle 26there is, adjacent to the escape opening, a shoulder or the like 2'7,behind which, viewed in the direction of the exhaust, water dropsseparated from the air have the air current pass over them withoutefleeting them in order that they may flow back gradually to the drumfor the purpose of preventing drops separated at the mouth from beingexhausted. The shoulder may of course be formed by applying a specialplate or by bending in a part of the wall of the nozzle or the like.

If during the cold season the air for humidifying is sucked into theapparatus from the outside without first heating it, the apparatus mayfreeze up. Should this occur in the upper portion of the apparatus, therotatable parts may be damaged. This risk is avoided by a device, bymeans of which the water supply is automatically shut oil when freezingtakes place. This is accomplished by passing the pipe conduit 11 throughthe lower portion of the apparatus, where it is surrounded by the airsucked in. The freezing will take place in the lower portion of thepipe, whereby the water supply to the upper part is automaticallystopped.

It is easily understood that by regulating and shutting 01! respectivelythe heat supply to the battery 8 one may cause warm, tempered orcoolair, saturated with moisture, to flow out into the room, to whichthe apparatus is connected.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. An air humidifying apparatus comprising a casing, at least one fan insaid casing for creating a current of air, means for supplying liquid tosaid fan so that the liquid is spread by centrifugal force, and asurface below said fan for collecting surplus liquid spread by the fanbut not absorbed by the air, said surface being formed with a suctionopening for air, and said surface being so disposed relative to said fanthat said surplus liquid is reintroduced into the air current by passingdirectly from the collecting surface to the fan.

2. In a humidifier according to claim 1, characterized by an adjustablelevel pipe in said surface.

3. In an air humidifier, a water supply, a propeller, a vertical shaftfor said propeller, means for distributing in a mist water from saidsupply in the path of air current produced by said propeller, and asurface below said propeller for collecting water from said mist, saidsurface having an opening in alignment with said propeller and beingdisposed so that unabsorbed water which has been collected isreintroduced into the air current by suction force, including a discmounted on said shaft above said propeller and adapted to form part ofsaid means for distributing water in a mist, a channel for collectingwater. below the level of said disc, and a pipe leading from saidchannel to the upper side of said propeller.

4. In an air humidifier, a water supply, a propeller, a vertical shaftfor said propeller, means for distributing in a mist water from saidsupply in the path of air current produced by said propeller, a surfacebelow said propeller for collecting water from said mist, said surfacehaving an opening in alignment with said propeller and being disposed sothat unabsorbed water which has been collected is reintroduced into theair current by suction force, a casing surrounding said humidifier andhaving an air inlet opening, heating means adjacent said air inletopening, and a pipe leading from said water supply through a zoneadjacent said heating means to a point above said propeller.

5. In an air humidifier, a water supply, a propeller, a vertical shaftfor said propeller, means for distributing in a mist water from saidsupply in the path of air current produced by said propeller, a surfacebelow said propeller, for collecting water from said mist, said surfacehaving an opening in alignment with said propeller and being disposed sothat unabsorbed water which has been collected is reintroduced into theair current by suction force, a casing surrounding said humidifier, anexhaust drum connected with said casing and having a bottom slantingtowards said surface, and water-sepa rating means in said drum.

6. In an air humidifier, a water supply, a propeller, a vertical shaftfor said propeller, means for distributing in a mist water from saidsupply in the path of air current produced by said propeller, a surfacebelow said propeller for collecting water from said mist, said surfacehaving an opening in alignment with said propeller and being disposed sothat unabsorbed water which has been collected is reintroduced into theair current by suction force, a casing surrounding said humidifier, anexhaust drum connected with said casing and having a bottom slantingtowards said surface, water separatir'rg means in said drum, conicalexhaust pipes projecting from said drum and tapering in the direction orthe exhaust, and an inside shoulder in said pipes near their open ends.

'7. In an air humidifier, a. water supply, a propeller, a vertical shaftfor said propeller, means for distributing in a mist water from saidsupply in the path of air current produced by said propeller, a surfacebelow said propeller for collecting water irom said mist," said surfacehaving an opening in alignment with saidpropeller being disposed so thatunabsorbed water which has been collected is reintroduced into the aircurrent by suction forceps. casing surrounding said humidifler, areservoir forming part of said supply, a float valve in said reservoir,and an overflow in said reservoir con nected with said casing.

SETH MAURITZ FINGAL ENGDAHL.

